A standard bench vise is more than OK for engraving,,those high quality European firearms are generally done by holding the parts in nothing more than that.
Standing while chasing as opposed to sitting seems to be the prefered and taught manner in most of the world except the USA. The standard bench vise positioned high and accessable 2/3 the way around it is usually the way they're used.
The engravers 'ball' vise was originally for hand graver work,mostly in the jewelry trades. But has become with some super sizing, a mainstay of the trade now especially with most everyone using air assisted machines.
Add microscopes, turntables, sharpening must-haves and all sorts of extra equipment it's no wonder a person wanting to try metal engraving gets confused and overwelmed by the amount of gadgets and the cost.
Anyway,,a vise doesn't have to be fancy to work,,just sturdy and vibration free,,and something that doesn't give you a back ache in the first 15 minutes of use.
I'd say start with a simple square graver and hammer. By 'square' I mean an included angle on the face of 90*.
Anything less or more I'd call a V graver.
The 90* is easy to sharpen and keep the angle there. Using an 1/8 or 3/32 tool bit to start with gives you the angle right up front. Chose a face angle,,45* is again simple and efficient enough for most work. Put a small lift heal on each side with a simple drag of the graver backwards accross the stone or grit surface. Nothing more than a couple degrees to 5 is needed. Too much and the heal drags on the outside of a curved line as you cut,,that ragged and jagged look to curves you sometimes see.
The Lindsey type sharpening technique helps avoid that by shaping the heal in two distinct planes. It works very well, but you can cut beautifully w/o it. Engravers have done so for centurys.
You are ready to cut.
Scarf off any extra off the top of the face of the graver to get rid of the bulky look but more so to make re-sharpening easier. Less material to remove and easier to keep flat.
My engraving hammer was always a Stanley 2oz ball peen. Big perhaps by most ideas of what an engraver hammer should be, but after struggling early on with a standard thin shaft chasers hammer, I went to that. It was my 'bench hammer' as a gunsmith so I was right at home with it.
After the basics, you'll get into changing face angles, heal, included angle ect for different materials and effects.
I wouldn't bother with all that while trying to simply learn to cut. A 90/45/5* Square graver will do it for you.
After all these years I cut most everything with a 60/45/5* 'V' graver. So much for change.
Wood handle,,metal handle, diameter, length?? Whatever is comfortable. I used wooden handles for nearly 15 years then switched to the square steel 'Belgian' style handles for the next 20.
Now I use an air assist tool as I can't even hold on to a chasing chisel anymore. At least I can still do work. Without them I'd have been done altogether 10yrs ago. Technology is good,,we just don't like the change sometimes.
Everyone is different,,don't be afraid to try different styles of tool bits, handles, ect.
Make some yourself, buy some if they look friendly. You'll settle on one type after a while.
Keep things simple, the trade is difficult enough to learn w/o all the confusing math and special this and that.
Have fun,,
